Thomas L. Rosser

Thomas Lafayette "Tex" Rosser (15 October 1836-29 March 1910) was a Confederate States Army Major-General during the American Civil War and a US Army Brigadier-General during the Spanish-American War.

Biography
Thomas Lafayette Rosser was born in Campbell County, Virginia in 1836, and he relocated to a farm in Panola County, Texas in 1849. He left West Point on 22 April 1861 after Texas seceded, joining the Confederate States Army at the start of the American Civil War. He commanded an artillery company at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, and he was severely wounded at the Battle of Mechanicsville during the Seven Days Battles of 1862. During the Second Battle of Bull Run, Rosser captured Union general John Pope's orderly and horses. He later fought at the Battle of Antietam in October 1862 and was again wounded at the Battle of Kelly's Ford in March 1863. Rosser was disabled until the Battle of Gettysburg, when he recovered in time to lead a regiment of cavalry at Hanover and at the East Cavalry Field. As a Brigadier-General, Rosser was given command of the Laurel Brigade, distinguishing himself at the Battle of the Wilderness during the Overland Campaign. He was yet again wounnded at the Battle of Trevilian Station, where his men captued a pair of his old friend George Armstrong Custer's draws; at the Battle of Tom's Brook, Custer captured Rosser's private wardrobe wagon, so the two men exchanged friendly letters and returned each other's belongings. Rosser was promoted to Major-General in November 1864, and he commanded a cavalry division during the Siege of Petersburg in the spring of 1865. He later hosted a shad bake attended by George Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee, but this led to all three men missing the Battle of Five Forks. At the Battle of Appomattox Court House, Rosser captured the Union general John Irvin Gregg, and he escaped the ensuing surrender, although he was forced to capitulate at Staunton on 4 May. After the war, he worked as a railroad engineer and served as a US Army Brigadier-General during the Spanish-American War, training young cavalry recruits near Chickamauga, Georgia. He died at Charlottesville in 1910 at the age of 73.